Home baking has been on the rise thanks to the pandemic, as many of us attempt to bake our way out of lockdown boredom. If you’re starting to tire of your tried and tested recipes, we spill the secret ingredients from the kitchens of luxury boutique hotels for you to throw into the mix. Bake these beauties at home today, and book the hotel for later to look forward to an entirely different eating experience – be sure to share your creations with us using #AtHomeWithSLH on social media.
Dutch Stroopwafels by Canal House, Amsterdam
Makes 20 stroopwafels
For the dough
- 500 grams (1.1 lb) flour
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 150 grams (5.3 oz) sugar
- 125 grams (4.4 oz) unsalted butter
- 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) warm water
- 2 large eggs
- Pinch of salt
Mix the flour, yeast, cinnamon and sugar. Rub small pieces of butter into the flour until it resembles small peas. Slowly pour in the warm water and knead for several minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Finally, throw in a pinch of salt and knead the dough for a minute or two until all the ingredients are well blended. Wrap in plastic cling film and rest for 30 minutes.
For the caramel
- 150 grams (5.3 oz) light brown sugar
- 125 grams (4.4 oz) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons pancake syrup (maple syrup will do)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Melt the sugar and the butter together, stirring slowly over a low heat. Add the cinnamon and the pancake syrup and continue to stir until the caramel comes together and slowly bubbles. Make sure all the sugar has dissolved, then add the vanilla extract and stir it in. Keep the caramel warm once you’ve finished – you’ll need it in a second.
To assemble your waffles
- Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces, and roll each one into a small ball. Cover and rest on the counter.
- Heat your waffle cone machine or your pizzelle iron according to instructions. Place one dough ball in the middle, press down the top lid and bake each waffle for approximately 40 seconds.
- Now you have to work fast. As long as the waffle cookie is hot, it’s pliable. The moment it cools, it will break, so make sure you have all the items you need within reach.
- With a sharp, serrated knife, slice the cookie horizontally into two parts. Place a generous size dollop of caramel in the middle, replace the top and gently push down on it so that the caramel spreads. Place on a rack to cool.
No-Knead Bread by Storfjord Hotel, Norway
Ingredients
- 350g wheat flour
- 250g of whole wheat coarsely ground
- ½ tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Storfjord honey
- 5 dl water
- 1 medium sized potato
- 1 tbsp finely cut fresh thyme
Method
- Put all the dry ingredients including the herbs in a bowl and mix well. Stir the honey into lukewarm water, grate the potato and add this to the flour mixture. Then stir the dough quickly with a spatula. Cover the baking bowl with a towel to allow it to rise for 12-15 hours.
- Put a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and preheat to 250°C. Flour your hands really well and also sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough. With your floured hands gently remove the dough from the bowl and roughly shape it into a ball. Take the ball of dough and drop it into the heated pot with the lid. Place it back in the warm oven and let it fry for 30 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to 200°C and remove the lid from the pot. Fry it for another 10 minutes to get the perfect crust and colour. Once out of the oven, let the bread cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Make sure to taste the bread when still a bit warm topped with Storfjord Hotel honey, the traditional Norwegian brown cheese, your favourite jam or butter from Røros. Just the way we love it.
French Toast Brioche by Chef Anissa Boulesteix at Hôtel Crillon le Brave, France
Watch Chef Anissa Boulesteix make this recipe here.
For the salted-butter caramel
- 80 grams sugar
- 50 grams salted butter
- 10 cl (liquid) cream
Prepare the caramel by melting sugar and little water in a pot. When it is ready, add on the cream and mix well. Then add the butter cut in dices. Mix constantly until it melts. Put aside.
For the sweet apples
- 1 apple
- 30 grams salted butter
- 20 grams sugar
- Half a lemon
Peel the apple. Melt the sugar in a pot and add the apple cut in quarters. Caramelise the apple. Deglaze with the lemon juice.
For the French Toast Brioche
- A slice of brioche
- One egg
- 10 cl milk
- 50 grams brown sugar
- 50 grams butter
Mix the egg with the milk and the sugar. Soak the slice of brioche in the egg/milk/sugar mix. Melt the butter in a pan, put the slice of brioche in the pan. Turn the slice to glaze it on both sides.
Put the brioche on a plate and drizzle with the caramel. Add the apple’s quarters on top and you can also add some nuts, some strawberries, or whatever fresh fruit you might have at home…enjoy!
Fruit Tart by Executive Chef Gabriele Muro at Hotel Vilòn, Italy
For the crust
- 500 grams of flour
- 250 grams of butter
- 200 grams of caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- Orange and lemon zest
- 1 vanilla bean
Pour flour, caster sugar and diced butter onto the work surface creating a well in the center. Add the eggs and flavours in the middle, filling the well. Mix together all the ingredients until a homogeneous dough is formed. Enfold the dough into a plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling it with the help of a pin. Make a disc of about ½ centimetre thickness and bake it in a previously lined tart pan for about 15 minutes at 170° C.
For the cream
- 400 grams of fresh milk
- 100 grams of fresh cream
- 120 grams of sugar
- 80 grams of cornstarch
- 4 eggs’ yolk
- Orange and lemon zest
- 1 vanilla bean
In a bowl with a hand mixer beat the eggs’ yolks with sugar and cornstarch until smooth. In a sauce pan bring milk, fresh cream and flavours to a boil and then pour it into the egg yolk mixture and stir softly. Simmer the newly created mixture stirring it while bringing it to a boil. Let it cool.
To garnish
- 500 grams of fresh fruit
Once the crust and the cream will be cooled, spread the filling over the crust and arrange fresh fruit on top.
Apple Tart by Le Grand Bellevue, Switzerland
For 750g of frangipane filling
- 250g butter
- 150g sugar
- 4 eggs
- 200g almond paste
- ¼ lemon zest
- ¼ vanilla pulp
- 1 pinch salt
- 150g flour
Beat the ingredients, apart from the flour, into a fluffy mass, then fold in the flour. The mixture is an excellent baking and filling mixture for fruit cakes, fruit strudels and fruit tartlets. It keeps about one week in the fridge or three weeks in the freezer. Beat fluffy again before use.
For the tart
- 250g puff pastry, thinly rolled out in a 30-34cm diametre circle
- 80g frangipane (see above)
- 4 apples, peeled, halved, cut into thin slices
- 50g cinnamon sugar
- Double cream / whipped cream as wished
Brush the puff pastry with frangipane, leaving a finger wide edge all round so that the edge of the puff pastry can rise nicely, and evenly lay out the apple slices in a spiral on it. Dust the apples with cinnamon sugar and bake in the oven at 200°C for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Dust with sugar and serve the tart with double or whipped cream while still warm.
Tip: Other kinds of fruit, such as apricots, plums and pears, are also particularly suitable for this recipe. Vanilla and cinnamon ice cream also go very well with it.
Chocolate Fondant by Cascades Restaurant at Viceroy Bali, Indonesia
Makes 25 portions
Ingredients
- 260g Guanaja Choco 70%
- 200g Jivara Chocolate 40%
- 360g butter
- 12 eggs
- 280g sugar
- 300g flour
- 60g cacao powder
- Vanilla sauce (optional)
- Chocolate crumble (optional)
- Vanilla Ice Cream (optional)
- Fresh strawberry (optional)
- Mint Leaves (optional)
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180OC. Grease a cylinders baking set with a thin layer of butter and coat it with flour, tap any excess flour.
- Place a heatproof bowl with 260gr Guanaja choco 70% and 200g Jivara chocolate 40% into a pan with water. Heat gently. When the chocolate melts, add 360g butter and mix well together. Remove it from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the 12 eggs and 280g sugar until yolk, white and sugar are combined. Gently add and mix the melted chocolate and butter. Add the mix of 300g flour and 60g cacao powder. Mix it well.
- Pour the chocolate fondant batter into the cylinders baking set, filling about ¾ of the way up.
- Bake it for around 7 minutes until the tops resemble biscuits and are just beginning to crack.
To serve
Serve on a round plate and sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Add vanilla sauce, chocolate crumble, vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberry and mint leaves.
Neopolitan Graffe by Chef Vincenzo Fioravante of Le Muse Restaurant at Grand Hotel Parker’s, Italy
Neapolitan graffa is one of the pillars of Neapolitan street food and one of the most appreciated desserts of Neapolitan cuisine. They were prepared mainly for the Carnival period, but today you can always taste them and it is easy to find them at every corner of Naples.
Ingredients
- 400g flour
- 450g potatoes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 cube of yeast dissolved in milk
Method
- Boil the potatoes and mash them.
- Add the eggs, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt and finally the yeast previously dissolved in the milk.
- Start kneading and add the flour gradually until you get a consistency such that you can transfer the dough on a work surface and start working it with your hands.
- Once obtained, divide the dough into many pieces and work each piece until you obtain a shape similar to a small ‘salami.’
- Close them in a donut shape and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Once leavened, fry the graffe in deep oil or, alternatively, cook them in a ventilated oven at 180 degrees.
‘Not-So-Dry-January’ Boozy Bread & Butter Pudding by Head Chef Richard Thorpe at Foxhill Manor, UK
Ingredients
- 6 croissants
- 50g soft unsalted butter
- 75g marmalade
- 200ml full fat milk
- 200g double cream
- 60g whiskey
- 2 eggs
- 45g caster sugar
- 1 orange zest finely grated
Method
- First things first, preheat your oven to 160 degrees. Then slice your six croissants in half length ways. Then butter your croissants with the softened butter.
- Next spread 50g of marmalade on top of the croissants, saving 25g for glazing at the end.
- Layer your croissants in a oven dish with the marmalade side facing upwards. Then whisk your cream, milk, sugar, eggs, orange zest and whiskey together until smooth.
- Then pour the mix on top of your croissants and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
- Next, pop in the oven and bake at 160 for around 45-60 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is nicely caramelised.
- Finally, in a small pan melt 25g of marmalade and brush over the pudding to glaze it. Then it’s ready to eat. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or three), grab a spoon and enjoy!
Cannelés de Bordeaux by Les Sources de Caudalie, France
Ingredients
- 50cl milk
- 50g butter
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 eggs
- 40g egg yolks
- 30g rum
- 250g sugar
- 150g flour
Method
- Boil the milk with the sugar, butter and vanilla.
- Once warm, add the eggs and egg yolks.
- Finish by adding the flour and rum.
- Leave to stand for at least 24 hours.
- Bake for about 50 minutes at 180 degrees.
Cinnamon Cantucci by Executive Chef Claudio Mengoni at Hotel Lungarno, Italy
Ingredients
- 1kg flour
- 300g butter
- 200g icing sugar
- 400g granulated sugar
- 300g almonds with skin
- 15g baking power
- 6 whole eggs
- 5g cinnamon
- To taste salt and vanilla
Method
- Sand the flour with soft butter.
- Add the sugars, eggs, yeast, various aromas, and finally the almonds.
- Make blocks of 300 grams, shape them using the width of a sheet of baking paper as a reference.
- Let them rest in the fridge for at least one night.
- Brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Bake in a ventilated oven for 25 minutes at 185°C.
- Once the loaves have been removed from the oven, cut them into small pieces while they are still hot.
- Then, dry your Cantucci in the oven for about 1 hour at 120°C.
Marbled Flan by Pastry Chef Simon Beauruelle of Le Botaniste at Château La Chenèviere Hotel, France
For the pastry base
- 60g butter, softened
- 45g icing sugar
- 120g flour
- 15g almond powder
- 1 egg
- 2 pinches of salt
Make the pastry base by mixing all of the ingredients together until the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in a cling film and let it rest in the fridge for an hour. Switch the oven on at 200 degrees.
For the flan filling
- 470g whole milk
- 100g cream
- 1 vanilla pod
- 125g sugar
- 45g cornflour
- 5 egg yolks
- 75g dark chocolate
Mix the milk, the cream and the vanilla together in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks and the sugar together, and then add the corn flour to the mix. Once the milk and cream are boiling, add the egg yolk and corn flour mix to the pan, and blend it all together.
Once the blend is warm and combined, remove the saucepan from the stove and divide the mixture in two. Add the chocolate and stir it into one of the mixtures. Let the two fillings rest.
To assemble
Take the pastry base and roll it out into a 20cm wide round oven dish. Take 2 spoons and use them to dollop both cake mixtures into the tin alternately to create a marble effect. Smooth the surface and bake it in the oven for 15 minutes, then bring the oven temperature down to 150 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.
Let it cool, remove from the oven dish and enjoy!
Babà by Chef Nicola Annunziata of Pietramare Natural Food at Praia Art Resort, Italy
Serves 10 people
For the babà
- 1kg manitoba
- 60g yeast
- 20 eggs
- 100g sugar
- 20g salt
- 400g butter
For the ricotta ice cream
- 300g plain yogurt
- 100g lime juice
- Lime peel
- 300g ricotta ice cream
- 200g powdered sugar
For the babà sauce
- 1,000g water
- 100g sugar
- 100g lemongrass
- 3g oregano
- 3g marjoram
- 10g mint
- 10g basil
- Coriander
- Lime kafir leaves
- Chunks of ginger
For the chilli oil
- 50g fresh chilli
- 100g extra virgin olive oil
Method
- With the help of a planetary mixer, knead the baba with the direct dough technique, then in order of insertion add the flour, yeast, salt, sugar and eggs one at a time until the dough begins to take shape and consistency, then proceed with the butter always a little at a time.
- As soon as the dough is ready, transfer it to a bowl and let it rise for 2 hours.
- Once risen, break the dough by weighing it in its baking mold, let it rise for 2 hours and bake at 160 degrees for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, for the ice cream, mix all the ingredients and place in the special machine to form the ice cream, then store it in the freezer.
- For the syrup, proceed by cleaning the aromatic herbs, then bring the water and sugar to a boil and pour over the aromatic herbs, leave to rest for 30 minutes and filter.
- For the oil, cut the fresh chilli pepper and let it macerate in extra virgin olive oil after 3 hours, filter.
- For the Moscatello pears, wash them, peel them and remove the core and cook them in a chilli-flavored syrup for 30 minutes, once ready, cool them immediately.
- As soon as we have everything ready, we proceed to serve, then pour the herb sauce, the babà on it, the ice cream, the pear and finally the chili oil in a deep dish.
Orange Madeleines by Nydia Lehmann, Owner of Thorngrove Manor Hotel, Australia
Ingredients
- 3 free range eggs (we use eggs from the Thorngrove hens)
- The zest of one orange
- 110g of caster sugar
- 120g or one cup of sifted plain flour
- 1tsp of baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 60ml of melted unsalted butter
- Icing sugar to sprinkle for serving
- Edible flowers from the garden
- A non stick metal Madeleine baking pan is necessary for baking (silicone baking trays will not change colour) – spray non stick pan lightly with coconut oil once at the beginning only.
Method
- Beat eggs with caster sugar until pale yellow and thickened, and add orange zest.
- Mix dry ingredients and add to egg mix combining gently until just combined. Add melted butter.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, otherwise the traditional hump will not form.
- Spoon approximately 15ml of batter mix into the centre of the shape. It will spread while cooking (a small ice-cream scoop is ideal to keep the amount of batter the same).
- Bake for 5-6 minutes until slightly golden at the edges and the centre looks cooked.
- Allow to cool slightly and lift for the tin.
- Once completely cool sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
- Alternatively they can be split as in Thorngrove’s version, and filled with our house-made jam and whipped and piped local Jersey cream, sprinkled with icing sugar and scattered with edible flowers from the garden.
Torta Tenerina by Villa Spalletti Trivelli, Italy
Ingredients
- 500g dark chocolate
- 250g powdered sugar
- 1 bag of Vanillin
- 5-6 tablespoons of water
- 9 egg whites
Method
- Cover the pan with baking paper, grease it up and cover it with a very thin layer of bread crumbs (pangrattato).
- Break up the dark chocolate and let it melt along with the water in a bain-marie. Once completely melted add the powdered sugar and the vanillin and mix.
- Whip the egg whites adding a dash of salt. Add them to the chocolate and powdered sugar and mix always in the same direction until all ingredients are well blended together.
- Pour the mix in the pan and put it in the preheated oven at 160°C for no longer than 40 minutes.
- Let the cake cool down, add some powdered sugar on top and serve with whipped cream or zabaione.
- Buon Appetito!
Gluten Free Banana Bread Cupcakes by Leticia Roman in collaboration with Brick Hotel, Mexico
Recipe by fitness trainer @letysersana @sersanamethod
You will need…
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cupcakes baking dish
- Whisk to mix
In the mixing bowl…
- 5 ripe bananas (crush with hands until smooth)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
Mix together, then add…
- 1 cup quinoa flour
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
Mix well, then grease a baking dish with coconut oil. Pour the mix into the cupcakes baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes at 150 degrees. Enjoy!